Next on the list of professional development opportunities is the CASE Institute for Senior Alumni Relations Professionals. It takes place April 19 to 21, 2009 in Rancho Mirage, California (USA) near Palm Springs. This is a little more than a two hour drive from Los Angeles.
The Institute promises attendees "hands-on learning aimed at senior level professionals in alumni relations."
From noon on Sunday until lunchtime on Tuesday, experienced presenters will challenge Institute participants to discover:
- Creative insight into the changing landscape of alumni relations
- Strategies for increasing understanding of your program among campus leaders
- Approaches to handling the difficult economic situation around us
- Best practices to recruit, train, and retain staff and volunteer leaders
- Insights into market research, benchmarking and collaboration
The program and schedule are available online in full detail. I'll be presenting an update on the work of the CASE Commission on Alumni Relations, as well as the following session:
Can online interaction possibly replace traditional, face-to-face relationships with our constituents? Can so-called “new media” — Web 2.0 or other online channels — counter looming budget and staff cuts? What can we realistically expect from electronic communications and the Internet? A few simple principles can help guide our strategic approach to building community online and to keeping our institutions visible and relevant to alumni and donors.
Presenters include:
- Sherri Schmidt (Chair), Associate Executive Director, North Dakota State University
- Barbara Dick, Executive Director, Alumni Affairs, University of Toronto (Canada)
- Peter Rooney, Vice President, Development and Alumni Relations, Oglethorpe University
- Jeff Todd, Executive Director, Oregon State University Alumni Association
- Andy Shaindlin, Executive Director, Caltech Alumni Association
- Guest keynote: author Jason Ryan Dorsey
See you there.
This program is approved for CFRE accreditation.
